Donald Trump delivered his second inaugural address at the Capitol rotunda with typical showmanship and swagger. “Many people thought it was impossible for me to stage such a historic political comeback, but here I am,” he boasted. That evening, he signed a batch of executive orders with theatrical flourish at a desk bearing the presidential seal of office in front of his fans at the Capital One sports arena in Washington.
Trump has done “more with the political rally as an example of popularity and power than any other president”, Fox news commentator Brit Hume whistled in admiration. As night fell, Trump was dancing romantically cheek-to-cheek in his tux with Melania in a strapless black and white gown at the first of several inaugural balls. This put an end to speculation that her chic navy boater was designed to keep Trump at safe pecking distance during his swearing-in ceremony.
For Trump, the 45th and 47th US president, returning to the White House heralds a new “golden age” for America. But if he fails to deliver on that promise, the next four years will be an age of bronzer and bluster.
The second coming of Trump promises to be fast and brutal
In his address Trump excelled at fostering the feel-good factor (excluding Joe Biden, who was accused of betraying America). He pushed all the right buttons about the unquenchable spirit of the American people: farmers, soldiers, cowboys, factory workers, steel workers – pioneers who drove onwards and built America. Trump regards himself as part of this band of brothers.
Black and Hispanic voters, who voted for Trump in record numbers, were included in his vision of a united, peaceful America. While promising to end wokeness and diversity, equity and inclusion, he spoke of creating a colour-blind meritocracy that would make Martin Luther King’s “dream come true”. After the attempt on his own life, he appears to feel a sense of kinship with the slain civil rights leader.
Trump believes he was “saved by God to make America great again” and offered a messianic vision of America’s manifest destiny; one that imposes tariffs on foreign goods, bullies its allies and expands US territory. He proclaimed January 2025 as “Liberation day” for Americans, not for the rest of the world.
Trump’s vision of “sunlight . . . pouring in over the entire world” was briefly so upbeat it almost recalled that “hope and changey” thing represented by Barack Obama (even if Michelle O didn’t fall for it and boycotted the ceremony). But the second coming of Trump promises to be fast and brutal.
No sooner had he taken the oath of office than an app allowing immigrants to enter the US lawfully was switched off. Stranded on the wrong side of the border with cancelled appointments, their dreams were over. There will be more rough justice when border czar Tim Homan acts on Trump’s threat to begin mass deportations.
Returning to the White House, Trump signed an executive order pardoning over 1500 January 6 rioters, who had smashed into the Capitol and assaulted police officers four years ago. “They’ve already been in jail a long time,” he said sympathetically. “These people have been destroyed.” His anger was reserved for the Democrats, claiming they “cheated like dogs” at the last election.
History, Trump thinks, should be rewritten by the victor. And poof! With the stroke of a pen, the US was no longer a member of the World Health Organization. With another it was out of the Paris climate accords and “drill, baby, drill” became official energy policy. It was goodbye to refugee programs – flights for over 1600 Afghan refugees cleared for entry were cancelled. Henceforth, the military will be deployed at the US border under emergency powers.
A clutch of immigration judges were relieved of their duties, senior officials had their security credentials revoked, and federal workers were ordered back to the office to await their fate. Elon Musk, newly empowered with his own White House email, announced grandly on X, “It begins.” He was referring to the work of DOGE, the department of government efficiency, which promises to hack away at the federal bureaucracy and save taxpayers up to $1 trillion (now reduced to half the original $2 trillion target).
Washington is Trump Town now. All resistance has melted
Musk has been enjoying playing at high office, but it was JD Vance, the 40-year-old vice-president from hillbilly country, who was lavished with attention by Trump. “How good has JD been!” he exclaimed, praising Vance’s wife Usha and beaming at his young family.
There is no doubt Vance plans to be president one day. But who knows how long he will remain in Trump’s favour? His predecessor, Mike Pence, is emphatically persona non grata after certifying Biden won the 2020 election. So are other relics from Trump’s first administration: defence secretaries Jim Mattis and Mark Esper, former ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, and former national security adviser John Bolton.
You’ll never work for us if you worked for them, ambitious Republicans have been told. This will not be a forgiving administration. Mitt Romney, the Cheneys and Mark Milley, former chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, are also out in the cold. Today’s GOP is entirely at Trump’s disposal.
Vivek Ramaswamy, the millionaire financier who had been tapped to work at DOGE with Musk, has already been ousted quicker than you can say Anthony Scaramucci (he lasted 11 days as Trump’s communications director in 2017). Ramaswamy was never going to survive a job share with a fellow egomaniac like Musk. Although he has swallowed his disappointment with bold talk about running for Ohio governor in 2026, Ramaswamy’s political prospects have plunged after he criticized US workers for being lazy in a row over granting H-I1B talent visas to foreigners.
The masters of the techverse, Jeff Bezos, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai and Mark Zuckerberg joined Musk at the president’s right hand during the inauguration after sinking millions into the inaugural festivities. Steve Bannon, Trump’s former chief of staff, mocked on his War Room podcast that they had been “tagged and bagged” like the stuffed heads of wild animals and were now sitting together in Trump’s “trophy cabinet”. Eventually, they may baulk at their gilded confinement.
But Washington is Trump Town now. All resistance has melted. In one day, Trump has brought more energy to the presidency than Biden brought all year. “Can you see Biden doing this? I don’t think so,” Trump said at the Capitol Arena. Sitting rigidly at the inauguration as his legacy was torched, Biden will only be a blip in history as the interlude between the two Trump presidencies.
But Biden gave his successor a parting gift. By issuing preemptive pardons to members of his close family and people threatened by Trump who have not been charged with crimes, such as former Covid-19 supremo Antony Fauci and ex-Republican congresswoman Liz Cheney, Biden has set a terrible precedent.
Trump, who has already been granted presidential immunity by the Supreme Court, will be able to order underlings to obey his instructions with the promise of a preemptive pardon if they behave unlawfully – all while claiming to follow Biden’s example. Golden age or not, we are already living in the age of impunity.
Sarah Baxter is director of the Marie Colvin Center and a contributing editor of the Standard
